Drone users will now have to sit safety tests and register their devices in government clampdown

Drone owners will now have to register their flying devices and sit safety awareness tests under a new government clampdown to ‘encourage owners to act responsibly’.

Transport minister, Lord Callanan, announced on Saturday that drones weighing 250 grams or more will now have to be registered in a new scheme to help “improve accountability and to encourage owners to act responsibly”.

Drones could be registered online or through an app, with these options being explored by the government.

Farmer Ally Hunter Blair, who farms near Ross on Wye, uses a drone to help monitor the farm more quickly than he could on the ground. 27/03/2017 Photo by Andrew Higgins

The measure has been introduced as a part of the government’s determination to help support and promote the increasing use of drones in the UK.

Lord Callanan, a parliamentary under-secretary in the Department of Transport, said: “The UK is at the forefront of an exciting and fast growing drones market and it is important we make the most of this emerging global sector.

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“Our measures prioritise protecting the public while maximising the full potential of drones. Increasingly, drones are proving vital for inspecting transport infrastructure for repair or aiding police and fire services in search and rescue operations, even helping to save lives.

“But like all technology, drones too can be misused. By registering drones, introducing safety awareness tests to educate users we can reduce the inadvertent breaching of airspace restrictions to protect the public.”

The move also follows findings by the Department for Transport, British Airline Pilots’ Association and the Military Aviation Authority which found that drones weighing more than 400 grams could damage the windscreens of helicopters.

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The government intends to bring forward and expand on ‘geo-fencing’ in the UK which acts as an invisible shield around buildings or sensitive areas such as prisons and airports.

EasyJet cancelled one flight an hour before it was scheduled to depart Bristol Airport on Sunday evening

This would work on GPS coordinates which are built into the device and would prevent them from flying into these zones and some manufacturers have already programmed their drones not to fly in these areas.

Last year the government launched a new ‘drone code’ which has six key principles:

always keep your drone in sight

stay below 400 feet (120 metres) to comply with the drone code

every time you fly your drone you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions